Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue, to which I am replying on behalf of the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media. It is important to note that the GAA, like all national governing bodies, NGBs, in sport, is an independent, autonomous body. The management of broadcasting and commercial rights is entirely a matter for the association. The GAA, like all NGBs, is free to enter into commercial agreements to generate revenue to support the continued development of its sport from grassroots to elite levels.

A challenge for all sports bodies, including the GAA, is to strike a balance between generating revenue through broadcasting rights and ensuring accessibility to as wide an audience as possible, particularly those who might not have the technical know-how to engage with a streaming service. There is a vital need to promote sport generally, and active participation in sport in particular. One way to do so is to give access to live sporting events. There is also a need to ensure there are sufficient levels of coverage of our national games. In this regard, there has been much discussion about the need to promote hurling, in particular. Widespread free-to-air availability is a part of this.

I appreciate that fans will want to see more games but it is important to consider the practicalities of broadcasting those games. Public service broadcasters are not dedicated sports channels. They have a statutory obligation to meet the expectations of all people and to provide a broad schedule that caters for the interests of the whole population, on all subject matters and via all programme types, not just sport. In saying that, there is, rightly, still a significant amount of sport available to view on free-to-air television. In the case of Gaelic games, I understand there was no reduction in the number of games shown free to air by RTÉ in 2023. It is worth considering that if GAAGO did not exist, a number of matches would not be aired at all.

I understand that between Friday and Sunday last, there were 12 GAA matches played from under-20s to senior level. Six of those matches were available on free-to-air television, with a further three available on GAAGO. More than 300 Gaelic games matches will be shown live on free-to-air television this year. They include matches shown on TG4, which has expanded its Gaelic games broadcasting over the years and now shows national league, club, intervarsity and underage championship games, as well as women's football. A quick look at the television schedule shows there will be Gaelic games coverage on TG4 every day this week, including three live matches. In addition, two live matches will be shown on RTÉ next weekend, as well as highlights shows.

Obviously, sports fans would like to have more games available free to air, especially those involving their own counties. However, it simply may not be possible to broadcast all matches. The number and frequency of games, and the potential for clashes, are issues of the sporting calendar, not the television schedule. Recent changes in championship structure and season duration are bound to result in fixture congestion. The scheduling is a matter for the GAA to address. It must work with its broadcast partner, RTÉ, to decide which games are broadcast. This is not something in which the Government can or should be involved.

With regard to the broadcasting policy element of guaranteeing free-to-air availability of sporting events, there is provision in national and European legislation to designate major events as free to air if they are deemed to be in line with statutory criteria. The legislation also provides for regular reviews of the list of events that are designated as free to air. A review is currently under way. It included a public and stakeholder consultation, which was launched by the Minister, Deputy Catherine Martin, last January to invite feedback on a number of new events being considered for free-to-air designation. While the consultation phase is closed, there is now an independent analysis and assessment of the outcome of the consultation.

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